Blagojevich attorneys ask judge to remove Protective Order

Defense attorneys want secret wiretaps to become public.

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(PR NewsChannel) / February 17, 2011 / CHICAGO / Defense attorneys representing former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich filed a motion this morning asking that the Protective Order that has prevented the release of secret evidence in the case be lifted.

The Protective Order has been in effect since after the prosecution released only selected clips of wiretapped evidence.  The April 14, 2009 Protective Order has prevented the release of any tapes other than the fraction of calls played by the government during the first trial.  It has barred Gov. Blagojevich and his legal team from talking about the evidence.

QUOTES FROM THE 'MOTION TO LIFT THE PROTECTIVE ORDER IN ITS ENTIRETY'

1.  "Blagojevich has long argued for the release of recordings in this case.  At this point, after a full airing of the government’s case at the first trial, and at a time in which there are no pending investigations into the alleged conduct at issue in this case, there exists no legitimate basis to continue to keep the evidence in this case under Protective Order."

2.  "The protective order has only served to permit the government to present half-truths and distortions and has handicapped Blagojevich’s ability to fight back against false government allegations and set the record straight."

3.  "The simple fact is that there was an unprecedented and deliberate effort by the government to prosecute and win this case based on distortions and half-truths before it ever reached the Courthouse."

4.  "With thousands of recordings, making up many hundreds of hours, one would think the government would seek to play as much as possible to meet its heavy burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt.  However, the opposite is true – the government has released and played in court only fractions of a fraction (approximately 2%) of the recordings.  If Blagojevich has violated the law, as the government alleges, why would the government seek to keep the evidence under lock and key?
If the prosecution is indeed interested in the truth, and not just seeking a notch-in-the-belt conviction, then the government should not challenge this request to lift the Protective Order."

Download the Motion to Lift the Protective Order:  https://prnewschannel.com/pdf/Blagojevich_Protective_Order_2-17-11.pdf

To receive news alerts on Gov. Rod Blagojevich:  http://ow.ly/3YjLA

MEDIA CONTACT:
Glenn Selig
PR firm:  The Publicity Agency
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Web:  www.thepublicityagency.com

ON THE WEB:
www.governorrod.com
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SOURCE: The Publicity Agency

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